Tuesday, 20 February 2007

Before you set off downloading the 1995 Vitalogy Tour in all its glory, please take a minute to read these two simple conditions...

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Show Notes: Tickets to this show were available via a postcard mail-in lottery system (More than 175,000 postcards were received!). Jack Irons is now officially PJ's new drummer. When Jack is thanked by Gloria Steinem, some members of the audience react by booing. Ed addresses this later: "... you miss Dave and I think that is really nice. But you should all thank Jack Irons because this band wouldn't be together today if it wasn't for him. He saved the life of this band, so thank him." 'Go' is dedicated to Dave. 'Act of Love' is played with Neil Young, sans Ed. Several of the performers (including Ed) attended a press conference earlier to discuss reproductive freedom.

Betterman, Spin the Black Circle, Indifference, Rockin' In The Free World (w/L7)

Show Notes:

Tickets to this show were available via a postcard mail-in lottery system. Lots of political speak from Ed at this show. Neil leaves before the end of the show so L7 joins PJ for the 'RITFW' encore which is absolutely amazing! Ed says he'll give Neil a tape of the show.

Show Notes: Free tickets were mailed to Ten Club members and PJ appeared as the "Piss Bottle Men." Ed speaks of how they just got their vaccinations for the Asian tour, and, while speaking of "pains in the ass," says about the "jumping thing" (moshing and stagediving) that they are "beyond that now." 'Lukin' premiers at this show. A riff from 'Baba O'Riley' is played to open 'RVM.' 'Immortality's' ending is long, lingering and soft. They pause after a ripping 'Go' for Ed to note, "So this is what the fan club looks like ..." 'Let My Love Open the Door,' a Pete Townshend cover, is played for the first time live by the whole band.

Show Notes: Free tickets were mailed to Ten Club members and PJ appeared as the "Piss Bottle Men." A new song/improv ('The Price of Everything' ?) is dedicated to Riz Rollins, a Seattle record store clerk and occasional funk DJ. Ed explains 'Whipping' as a song "... about getting hit in the face, turning your cheek and getting hit again. Come to think of it, all the songs are about that." 'The Kids Are Alright' is solo by Ed, accompanying himself on guitar. Neil Young joins PJ in a surprise 'Act of Love' encore.

Unusual to hear 'Porch' so early in a set. 'Go' features an extended intro. Ed gives his list of "B.S." words/phrases before 'Satan's Bed.' 'Even Flow' has a modified intro. 'Redemption Song' is a Bob Marley cover.

Show Notes: This date was originally scheduled at Boise Idaho's University Pavilion. Ed quells rumors of PJ returning to Ticketmaster for ticketing by beginning the show with, "... you may have heard about us giving into Ticketmaster in L.A. and New York City. Well, I just wanna tell ya—that's bullshit." 'Long Road' is premiered here. 'Why Go' features a new drum intro. After 'Alive,' a kid throws his baseball cap up on stage, Ed says, "He throws his hat up on stage, now he says 'hey eddie I want it back.' Ah, he just wanted me to hold it he says. I'll do more than just hold it,'" and he proceeds to turn around, unzip his pants and stick the hat down his pants, then pulls it out, and says, "There you go" as he throws the hat back to the kid. At the start of the encore, Stone says, "Where's that hat? I wanna smell that hat." Ed goes into a story about other places they could have played in Wyoming ... "Thermopolis" (crowd boos). Jeff: "Straight outta Thermopolis." Ed: "We could played Bar None. Is there actually a city called Meeteetsie? Don't touch me teet-sie. We really thought seriously about playing Cokeville but we didn't think that was very PC, so we thought Green River might fit." He chats about some other towns and then says he's glad they're in Casper (huge applause) and thanks Bad Religion and mentions that they played with them before in Germany, leading to 'RVM.' The aftershow Monkeywrench Radio broadcasts begin after this concert, with Ed spinning favorites such as the Foo Fighters and Pete Townshend disks and taking phone calls.

Show Notes: Ed enters the stage on an old bike and remarks, "This place sucks ... obviously that is the farthest thing from the truth. Just like us going back to Ticketmaster is the farthest thing from the truth." 'Habit' is played for the first time by the whole band, though it was also played during the Mike Watt tour (Ed only). 'Leaving Here,' a High Numbers song, is premiered at this concert.

Show Notes: PJ performs their first six songs seated, experiencing some of the effects of the altitude and taking a different approach from the previous night. 'Ship Song' is by Nick Cave.They get frustrated being seated (Stone declares, "All right, "fuck the seats") and they dump the chairs as they launch into 'Last Exit.'The 'Falling Down' tune surfaces five years later, forming the melody for the song 'Distress' on The Rockfords album. 'RVM' is interrupted to break up a fight. ("What are you guys fighting for? This is a rock and roll concert.") PJ picks up the song right where they left off.A new, slower version of 'Jeremy' is premiered here. The impromptu 'I've Just Seen a Face,' a Beatles' tune, is sung by Ed a capella. 'This Boy' is a song by an LA band, That Dog. Ed's parting comment: "Thanks for coming up to the mountain with us."

Show Notes: This date was originally booked at Lake Tahoe's Boreal Ridge Ski Resort. After much audience debris is tossed onstage (shoes, shirts, etc.), Stone jokes, "OK, we got enough stuff. You can stop throwing now. Look at all this stuff!" Ed remarks later, "If there are any young entrepreneurs out there, I think we could help you open up a thrift shop with all the shit we got up here."

Last Exit, Spin the Black Circle, Go, Animal, Tremor Christ, Corduroy, Not for You

Neil Jam Set:

Big Green Country, Act of Love, Throw Your Hatred Down, Powderfinger, Truth Be Known, Rockin' in the Free World, The Needle and the Damage Done, Hey Hey My My, I'm the Ocean, Down By the River, Downtown, Cortez the Killer

Encore:

Peace and Love, Rockin' in the Free World

Show Notes:

Ed leaves the stage ill after seven songs. Fortunately, Neil takes the stage and the audience gets an impressive Mirrorball premier. The crowd responds poorly to Eds leaving, and Jeff makes a short speech before the encore to try and calm them.

Show Notes: Security permitted cameras into this show. There is no pit at this venue and the seats are bolted down. The mood was tentative, given the outcome of the previous show in San Francisco. After becoming comfortable with an extremely appreciative audience, the show became unforgettable.Long, jammy version of 'Alive.' Stone discovers a new, goofy riff to inject into the middle of 'Blood' and the band has a good laugh over it. Eddie addresses the crowd before 'Not For You' about the recent tour difficulties. He quips, "I gotta tell ya, my stomach hurts like hell right now. I think I got cryptosporidium," a reference to a cryptosporidium outbreak in the Milwaukee water system in the early 90s. (Recall he left the stage early at PJ's previous show in San Francisco due to food poisioning.)Ed brings out a Neil Diamond impersonator and the guy's wife (local folks, Thunder and Lightning) to sing 'Forever in Blue Jeans.' Ed pulls up a chair and crosses his legs like he's just sitting in a coffee house with a few friends and sings the second verse.Fun show with the guys showing a lot of energy.

Show Notes: If a show could have been any different (and better!) than the previous night, this was it. Ed surprises the audience by joining the Frogs' set for 'I Only Play for Money.' Dressed in a Beatles-type wig, sunglasses and shiny silver jacket, he is not recognizable until he begins to sing. In return, Jimmy of the Frogs accompanies Ed in the acoustic encore 'Star Boy.'A surprising opening song, 'Act of Love,' is extremely hard and driven. Lots of long jams that really show off Mike's ability.For the encore, Chad Smith (RHCP's drummer) joins PJ and a fascinating version of the Hendrix classic, 'Little Wing.' They jam for about eight minutes, mutating into 'Maggot Brain,' a funkadelic song from the 70s penned by Eddie Hazel. Mike's guitarwork leaves the crowd (and the rest of the band apparently) awestruck. It was later reported that Mike was hospitalized after the two Milwaukee shows due to dehydration and exhaustion.

Show Notes: First night Monkeywrench broadcast the show through the radio. The crowd is pumped, with people crowdsurfing even during Otis Rush's set. Cool 'Tommy' riff after 'Lukin.' 'Black' lyrics are altered from "sun" to "moon" and Ed gestures to the full moon above the stadium. He jokes, "There's some fancy people in the skybox ... they're blinking to us, sending us a message up there." The crowd boos and he tells them not to get angry: "... you know life has a way of working itself out, you know? Think about this for a sec, right? These are the rich, fancy people, right? They got all the luxury, right? Looks to me, like they're the farthest ones away from the stage and they're behind a fuckin' window ... you hang in the trenches long enough, it pays off ..."Ed destroys his black Telecaster featuring the "skateboarding is not a crime" bumpersticker, smashing it against his mic stand. Producer Brendan O'Brien joins the band on keyboard for a surprising 'Everyday People' (a Sly and the Family Stone song) and then 'Let My Love Open The Door.' First lightning and later, fireworks, filled the sky this night.

Amazing setlist and long performance with the pressure on in an intimidating venue.

Show Notes: This is the first of the rescheduled shows. Ed announces that taping PJ shows is permitted! 'I Believe in Miracles' is a Ramones song. During 'Porch,' Mike plays some riffs from 'Third Stone From the Sun' (a Jimi Hendrix song).

Show Notes:Ed thanks everyone for coming and being able to find an "alternative date" (referencing the rescheduling of this stretch of shows). After 'Dissident,' Ed says, "We're just gonna try this one" leading to a funky, hard version of 'Satan's Bed.' Stone's comment afterward: "Well!" 'I'm One' (from Quadrophenia) is the 'Daughter' tag. 'Even Flow' is a rousting version with an extended guitar jam, leading to a super 'RVM' and a sweet 'I Got Shit.' During the encore, Ed says, "You all got school tomorrow? There's too many of you to write notes for!"

Show Notes: At some point during The Ramones' set someone comes out, jumping around in a dress and a mask with a "Gabba Gabba Hey" sign. Okay, Ed - nice try on the disguise.At the start of PJ's set, Ed takes the stage grinning and wearing a heavy jacket on this terribly hot day. Immediately after 'Act of Love,' the jacket is gone.The show is paused briefly after 'Last Exit' to "get everybody up" and everyone is encouraged to "take two steps back."A surprise song, R.E.M.'s 'Talk About the Passion,' is played during the first encore.

Show Notes: Ed stops the show during 'Tremor Christ' when someone is down in the pit. He says they can't start again until the person is helped. After the fan has been tended to, the band picks up the song exactly where they left off. Eddie adds lines from the Ramones' 'I Believe in Miracles' to 'Daughter,' followed by the Talking Heads' 'Pulled Up.'Ed leaves the stage after 'Rats'. Stone says, "We're just gonna jam for a bit," and the band does a 'Voodoo Chile' jam, with Mike filling in on vocals. Brendan O'Brien sits in on organ for 'Better Man.''Sonic Reducer' with Joey Ramone is the show stopper and is later released on one of the '95 fan club discs. During 'Sonic Reducer,' Ed pokes fun at his and Joey's difference in height. :) The whole band is in a great mood and having a blast.'Spin The Black Circle,' 'Habit' and 'I Got Shit' are on the setlist but not played.

True to their word, PJ returned to Salt Lake City after the previous rain-out and played "twice as long," playing two shows.

Being the night after Halloween, the band hits the stage wearing costumes, Ed's being a very large alien head and alien gloves with long fingers. They proceed to toss items into the crowd (the band claiming it's candy corn and cigarettes).

Ed comments after 'Tremor Christ:' "I believe we've met before. We're gonna make good on our promise." There's a very sweet improv played before 'Elderly Woman.'

Ed's introduces 'Even Flow' as a song they "... learned off an old '50s jukebox." 'Red Mosquito' is a new song. 'Leaving Here' has an interesting intro. Monkeywrench Radio broadcast this show.

Show Notes: Monkeywrench Radio broadcast this show. The improv after 'Daughter' is a modified 'Young Man Blues' modifying the lyrics to "young girl's blues." 'Brain of J' premiers. Ed comments about how "it's almost like tonight we're playing for you and last night we were playing for your parents." This comment is made because the crowd isn't very responsive and (according to his comments on Monkeywrench Radio), they had intended to play a little longer (extra encore), but everyone left early!

Show Notes: Ed opens the show early with the then unreleased 'Dead Man.' Later he quips, "So these are the faces I would have seen if I could have lifted my head up in San Francisco." After a long departure from these sort of antics, Ed climbs the speaker stacks and scaffolding during 'Porch.' He includes a bit of the 'Three Little Birds' tag in Porch, repeating the "every little thing's gonna be alright" line a few times. Ben Harper and Kim Warnick (from the Fastbacks) join PJ in 'Rock 'n Roll Star.'

Long Road, So You Want to be a Rock 'n Roll Star (Tease), Habit, Betterman, Leaving Here, Spin The Black Circle, Porch/(I'm One)

Encore 2:

Indifference

Show Notes: After 'Jeremy,' Ed says "Thanks. Good singing." for the background vocals. Before 'Corduroy,' the crowd starts the "Eddie" chant and Ed comments, "We've been through a lot to get into this room tonight. You're gonna embarrass me in front of my mother."After 'Better Man' he notes, "What a sad fuckin' story. Wanna hear some good news? Of course it's not as exciting as the bad news. Isn't that true? ... Ever see people rally around a spot of good news? They can take some bad news and make it last for years."After dissing the Ticketmaster situation and the cops in "north county," he tells how the proceeds from the difference in the cost of tickets ($50,000) is being donated to the Surfrider Foundation "... so you can ride the waves."

Show Notes: As is the case typically, the second show in the same venue never disappoints and this show is no exception and Mike is having a wild night. At the end of 'Tremor Christ,' Ed comments, "Hello kiddies. Get comfortable; we're gonna be here for a while."At the end of 'Why Go?,' Ed raises his guitar overhead, as if preparing to smash it, but a tech swipes it from his hands and Ed looks terribly surprised!Ed clearly shows how he feels about 'Glorified G,' substituting the lyrics, "... glorified version of I hate this song" twice, looking over his shoulder at Stone and half smiling.

Experiencing tuning problems at the end of 'I Got Shit,' Ed tosses his guitar and says, "New guitar, please! After all, I am a rock star." Pretty humorous. 'Lukin' sports an ambient guitar intro, ending with a quick "1234" leading to a snappy 'Whipping.'

Ed returns to the stage on a skateboard for the first encore, and Stone ges a small fire going at the base of Ed's mic stand. 'Spin the Black Circle' is introed as "a love song."

Mentioning that the two San Diego shows help raise $50,000 donated to the Surfrider Foundation leads to a comment about how they had messed up the next song the previous night. Then Ed flubs the start of 'Leaving Here,' and notes that "it's really a rather hard song to play" but then they kick into it.This show is a fine conclusion to a wild 1995 tour.